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Properties of electrosensory neurons in the cortex of the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus): Implications for processing of electrosensory stimuli
Citation
Manger, PR and Calford, MB and Pettigrew, JD, Properties of electrosensory neurons in the cortex of the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus): Implications for processing of electrosensory stimuli, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 263, (1370) pp. 611-617. ISSN 0962-8452 (1996) [Refereed Article]
DOI: doi:10.1098/rspb.1996.0092
Abstract
Electroreceptor organs and mechanoreceptor organs located in the bill skin of the platypus are used by the animal to locate prey items, underwater, with eyes and ears closed. The precise manner in how these senses aid the platypus to locate food is not yet known. In this study we provide data on the activity of cortical neurons in the bill representation of SI when stimulated electrically, mechanically, and concurrently. Within the SI bill representation, there are alternating stripes of cortex that represent purely mechanical inputs, and combined electrical and mechanical inputs. Generally, the bimodal units responded more vigorously to electrical stimulation and had very small dynamic ranges, usually saturating within 20 μV cm -1 of threshold. Latencies to electrical or mechanical stimulation were around 25 ms, but were significantly reduced for concurrent stimulation. Combined with the previously reported observation that the receptive fields of bimodal neurons within cortical modules were the same, and that thresholds varied considerably, the observation of limited dynamic range suggests a mechanism for localization of stimuli. A model is developed wherein the relative activation of a module is dependent on its proximity to the source.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | animal experiment; article; brain cell; brain cortex; controlled study; electroreceptor; electrostimulation; feeding behavior; male; mechanical stimulation; mechanoreceptor; monotremate; nonhuman; priority journal; sensory stimulation |
Research Division: | Biomedical and Clinical Sciences |
Research Group: | Neurosciences |
Research Field: | Neurology and neuromuscular diseases |
Objective Division: | Health |
Objective Group: | Clinical health |
Objective Field: | Clinical health not elsewhere classified |
UTAS Author: | Calford, MB (Professor Mike Calford) |
ID Code: | 91282 |
Year Published: | 1996 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 22 |
Deposited By: | Research Division |
Deposited On: | 2014-05-13 |
Last Modified: | 2014-05-13 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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